Taunting Teen mugger told victim 'you can't do anything because we're underage' during vicious attack

A teen mugger taunted a victim as he was beaten for trying to stop his phone being snatched: "You can't do anything because we're underage."

Alex Payne Craven, aged 18 at the time, also ran his thumb across his own throat and threatened "you are dead" as a co-accused punched the victim in the face.

Payne Craven, now aged 20, was jailed for a year for offences including his part in the attack on the city centre worker (33) who was waiting for a bus home.

The accused, with an address at a hostel in Donore, Co Meath, admitted assault causing harm and attempted robbery.

Garda Sergeant Michelle Lynch told Judge Bryan Smyth that at 11.30pm on April 15, 2020, the victim had just finished work and was waiting at a bus stop on Wellington Quay, looking at his phone.

The accused and another man approached.

Payne Craven tried to snatch his phone but he managed to hold on to it and the co-accused punched the victim in the face, smashing his glasses.

Before running away, Payne Craven taunted the victim, saying "he couldn't do anything because they were underage".

He also "ran his thumb across his throat" and mouthed "you are dead" to the victim, who felt threatened. The man was left with a blood pouring from his nose, a swollen lip and bruising.

Payne Craven also admitted other offences in 2020, including possession of tablets following a drug deal, snatching a woman's €500 mobile phone and "depriving" a man of his specialised bicycle on a train at Connolly station.

Payne Craven "fell into a negative peer group" when he was 18 and began taking tablets, his barrister Tara McLoughlin said. He had no previous convictions.

Judge Smyth jailed the accused for six months for the assault, with consecutive four-month and two-month sentences for the drugs and theft charges.